RECENT POSTS
I Want Our Kids to Accomplish Things, Not Achieve Them
I don’t want our kids to achieve much. I want them to accomplish a lot. At least, according to the way Adam Gopnik distinguishes accomplishment
What Story Are You Telling Yourself?
What if there are two true stories about your life? And what if they contradict each other? Recently, I’ve realized I can tell myself two
The Vulnerable Power of Ted Lasso
Last week’s episode of Ted Lasso was really good (spoiler alert). Yes, it was funny and clever and involved men running around and kicking a
S6 E19 | Deconstruction and Rebuilding with Yolanda Pierce
In an environment of deconstruction, how do we identify what needs to be torn down? And in the midst of the rubble, what are we
The Power of Typical High School Kids
“Do you want to eat lunch with us?” Those might be the most powerful words in the vocabulary of high school. I had a chance
When We Talk for 20 Minutes
Here’s what happens on a sunny afternoon when I insist on Marilee taking twenty minutes to talk with me about her day. She tries on
Falling Off the May Treadmill
Before the Boston Marathon last month, I saw a video of people running on a treadmill at a marathon-winning pace. They would sprint for a
Our Daughter Doesn’t “Just Happen” to Have Down Syndrome
I used to describe Penny as a girl with light brown hair and big green eyes, who loved reading and dancing. And then I would
Once Upon a Time With the Evangelicals
I used to call myself an evangelical Christian. It was supposed to be a welcoming term, a term that spread across denominations and included people
3 Things I’m Grateful For
3 things I’m grateful for… Penny’s desire to attend every sporting event her siblings ever have so that she can cheer them on The fun
America’s Chronic Pain Problem
What if your individual experience of pain is connected to a wider and deeper collective wounding? Is this connected to America’s chronic pain problem? Nicholas
The Significance of Our Social Worlds
I’m taking a class right now where I’m learning all sorts of things about transitioning from high school to college or the workforce and beyond.
Awakened Attention and Achievement Attention
It’s getting harder for me to set goals. I used to look ahead and plot out the course for how to achieve the next big
S6 E18 | Join the Work of Justice with Michelle Ferrigno Warren
How do we step into the good work of kingdom justice? In this episode: hear the story of Michelle Ferrigno Warren, a faith-rooted justice advocate and activist
Inclusion vs the Real World
I’ve had to learn not to sacrifice our daughter on the altar of my ideology. When Penny was a toddler, I read an article about
What Do I Think About the Barbie With Down Syndrome?
What do I think about the new Barbie with Down syndrome? I was a little skeptical at first. She isn’t wearing glasses, which most people
The Gift of Hope Heals
My heart is so full of gratitude and wonder. I had the great honor of spending the past few days with my friends from Hope
7 Things I’m Loving Right Now
1. Shrinking Peter and I started watching Shrinking on AppleTV. We are only two episodes in so far, but we love the characters and the
What an Assessment of My Daughter’s Life Tells Me About Us
Every few years, Penny goes through a series of tests to determine the extent of her disability and, therefore, what services she is eligible to
Making Hard Decisions With Love, Not Fear
Every day brings with it little hard parenting decisions. And every day I’m not sure at all that I get them right. Recently, I’ve decided
Some People Are Awesome
We’ve encountered our fair share of subtle discrimination over the years. The people who talk to me as if Penny isn’t present. The professionals who
